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How to Support an Older Adult with Depression
How to Support an Older Adult with Depression
It can be extremely worrying to notice sudden changes in a loved parent or
any other senior family member with regard to mood and behaviour. First of
all, it is important to observe, notice the patterns in behaviour which seem
out of character and try to assess why such a change may have occurred.
Death amongst close family members, friends or a partner, even a
favourite pet – all of these can impact negatively on a senior person’s
mental and physical health. So can chronic illness and pain.
Showing patience, love and empathy are important. Gentle encouragement
to seek professional help is also important and this may meet with some
denial and resistance at first. The steps to help an older adult treat
depression will go through the following stages:
- Getting Professional Help: Make an appointment with a doctor and
after the initial assessment, you may need advice from a mental
health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist - Offering Support in the Home: Help with errands such as shopping,
cleaning the house and garden, laundry, bank work and keeping
important paperwork updated - Listening and Sympathizing: Give some time for the patient to tell
you about his or her concerns and unhappiness. In a busy life, it
can be difficult to allocate that kind of time, but there is nothing
worse for a person suffering depression to feel that no one is
bothered to listen. A great part of treating depression is allowing the
patient to talk - Encouraging a Healthy Routine: Make sure that the patient is
getting some form of physical exercise, taking the time to look after
personal hygiene and grooming, eating nutritious food and sleeping
for the required number of hours. Chronic sleep deprivation can
make depression worse - Reducing Sources of Stress: Try to get the patient to talk about
what is causing anxiety and stress – it may be fear about finances,
fear about not being able to cope with running a house or just
simple loneliness and feeling unworthy, especially if the family lives
far away and no one is visiting on a regular basis - Maintaining an Active Social Life: Motivate the patient to go out
and meet friends. If close friends have moved away or passed on –
this can be a major source of loneliness. It may be necessary to
arrange for a weekly nurse-companion service which allows
someone to come by to check in, talk and provide company. Other
options are signing up with a neighborhood club, book or movie
group or even a group which participates in social work activities
Conclusion
Depression in the elderly is a serious mental health condition that affects
the individual’s quality of life. With patience, understanding and
professional help, it can be treated and the chances of successful
treatment is very high.
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